


Hōrō-sha

by CschMan20



Category: Naruto
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Canon-Typical Violence, Denial of Feelings, Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Minor Character Death, Nihilism, Older Uzumaki Naruto, Romance, Slow Build, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-05
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 03:15:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 15,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12926148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CschMan20/pseuds/CschMan20
Summary: Four years after the war's end, Kakashi assigns Naruto a long mission with the promise of becoming the next Hokage at its completion. Naruto sets out on his mission that may take years and participates in many adventures along the way. During his travels, he unexpectedly encounters a beautiful, pink-eyed woman from his past.





	1. Greetings and Goodbyes

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of my already-completed work. The entire complete version can be found on my FF.net account, but I'll be slowly posting it here as well. As I edit each chapter, I'll be adding it to here and to my copy on FF.net. Feel free to let me know your thoughts about the work. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 1: Greetings & Goodbyes

 

" _He often used to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: its springs were at every doorstep and every path was its tributary. 'It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,' he used to say. 'You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.'"_

_-Frodo Baggins, J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring_

* * *

Naruto felt the warmth of the sun on his face as he admired the mesmerizing shades of green before him. The lush trees danced gracefully with the soft breeze blowing in from the south. The crystal sky extended far into the distance, rimmed with a black outline. He observed the ominous, dark shadows in the horizon that told of rain and fateful findings. He was close, he thought. He would probably reach his destination by tomorrow evening, and then he would once again enjoy the comforts of civilization. Naruto stretched his arms to relieve the tense and tired muscles that were results from long travel. After his stretch, Naruto slowly continued his trek along the dirt path he had been following for well over a month now, his thoughts focusing on the events that had transpired in his village over a month ago.

He recalled stepping into the Hokage office that eventful morning when Kakashi had summoned him.

The Rokudaime Hokage had seemed to be exhausted then. Throughout the majority of that conversation, Naruto remembered wondering if  _he_ was going to be that tired when his time came.

"I have a mission for you," he announced as soon as Naruto had approached his desk.

"Huh? W—"

"It will be considered S-class but not because of difficulty. More due to how long it will take you." He shifted some papers and waited for the blond's response.

Normally, Naruto would have been ecstatic at the prospect of the word 'S-class', but at the time he was quite taken aback by the brevity of his situation. "Um, Kakashi- _sensei_ —this is a little sudden, yeah?"

The dull glimmer in his mentor's eyes that day still left Naruto reeling. "Do you not think you're capable of such a mission?"

"Well, no. But you haven't even explain—"

"You'll be traveling across the Nations," Kakashi added with no semblance of concern for cutting the young man off. "It's about time for you to get ready to become Hokage. I certainly can't train you myself, so might as well let the world do it for the both of us."

Naruto didn't have time to dwell on the fact that Kakashi had basically promised him the title right then and there. "Do I really have to go that far?"

Kakashi looked up from his papers. "Are you underestimating the weight that comes with the position?"

"No—of course not, but—"

"Good, then there's no issue. Because as you understand, you were probably  _strong_ enough to become Hokage four years ago, but strength isn't the only indicator."

"I never said—" Naruto started. Even looking back, the blond still felt irritated at his old teacher's interruptions.

"You're inexperienced, Naruto. And young, very young. Your father was even older when he put on the hat, so this is going to be a long mission indeed."

Naruto frowned and folded his arms. "Where exactly will I go?"

Kakashi leaned into his chair. "The destination doesn't matter. Everyone will recognize you, anyways. You'll be welcomed anywhere. You just need to be open to what the world has to show you."

"OK. But you still haven't told me why—"

"It doesn't matter why, Naruto. I'm sure you'll figure it out yourself once the mission is complete." His eyes locked onto his former student. "And I do expect you to complete it."

Apprehension and annoyance was not a good combination, and Naruto recalled both at that moment. "This still sounds really vague."

"Hopefully, that will be the least of your problems," Kakashi added as he turned back to his papers. "You have much to learn, and I'm sure everything will sort itself out. It's not like another war will break out anytime soon."

"And what happens when I complete it?"

"If the mission is successful, then you become Hokage," said Kakashi.

Suddenly, all the apprehension in him disappeared. "Wait, really? Just like that?"

"Of course." Kakashi returned all his attention back to him. "That's why I hope you understand the importance of this mission. Now then, when can you be ready?"

The excitement in him was too much then. He wanted to start immediately. The irony of time being the ultimate obstacle to his goal was lost to him, and his impulses were taking over. "Today! No, wait, I'll need to pack up and say goodbye to everybody first…tomorrow?"

Kakashi chuckled. Naruto didn't realize how much he was going to miss that sound. "I think you can spare a few more days, yes? For the sake of the whole village, I think they'll need some time to cope with your departure. Go on and prepare; you got all the time in the world."

Naruto ran out of the office shortly after Kakashi had said that, an eager grin plastered on his face. Unbeknownst to the war hero, the Hokage kept the main reason for the mission to himself for now. He would tell him when he was ready.

The more Naruto thought about leaving as the day of his departure came closer, the more he became restless about actually leaving the village. He became detached from the village in many ways in recent years. He hadn't felt a challenge in years and while he enjoyed not having to worry about his loved ones getting hurt, he felt hollow.

Naruto wanted to have adventures again. He was a young man, full of potential and energy, and until he became the Hokage, he did not really see a reason to be in the village. Naruto greatly admired all his friends and felt physical pain when he knew he could do nothing for them, but they would be fine even if he left them for a while. He would find something during his adventures that would give him cause to feel a part of the life he wanted; he was sure of it.

The night before Naruto was to leave the village, he went to speak with his long-time friend, Sakura. Sasuke still had not returned even once since he had left to investigate the origins and knowledge about Kaguya, leaving the smitten, pink-haired kunoichi all alone. Naruto had given up his pursuit of trying to win her affections for him some time ago. It was not an easy decision for him to have made, but he knew it was crucial for him to protect his heart. The young woman loved his best friend with all her heart, and he had concluded the sooner he realized that the easier the transition would be for him.

Naruto found Sakura standing over her balcony that night, staring thoughtfully at the village lights below her. Naruto silently jumped up to the balcony where she was located and sat on the ledge next to her looking over the village.

Sakura gazed at him from the corner of her eye and smiled softly. Naruto didn't like the sorrow behind that smile. It was a sliver of melancholy thrust into the porcelain he had known so intimately. It made him feel powerless, as if nothing he could do would aid it. "I'm guessing this means you're leaving soon?" she asked.

Naruto looked down at the artificial lights that almost mirrored the stars shining above in the dark sky. He sighed slowly. His breath was low, and his words flowed into the open air. "Yeah. Tomorrow morning."

Sakura nodded and rested her head on the ledge in front of her. She had to say farewell to another person close to her, and he was aware that must have been terrible for her. Naruto knew he was taking the mission to help himself, but he secretly hoped he would come across Sasuke during his travels. If he did, he promised himself he would tell his friend to go back to Sakura. The girl had been waiting four years for her love already, and she couldn't wait much longer. Naruto had tried to be there for her as much as possible, but often he felt he was simply distracting her from it all. She deserved better.

Naruto's own love life after the war had been virtually non-existent. There were many women who were captivated by the handsome blond, but he had always politely refused their advances. At first, he had been completely clueless to all of them, considering his old habits, but he had grown substantially in the last couple years and had learned how to handle their affections appropriately. Somehow, this seemed to only increase the drive of the women's resolve and turned into almost a competition to see who would win over the war hero first.

Hinata Hyuuga had gotten closer than anyone else and had managed to score a few dates with the powerful fighter. She had eventually confessed her feelings to him, but in the end, her love was left unrequited. The reason for Naruto's refusals were not because of prudish intentions. At first, it was because of Sakura and his feelings for her, but eventually it was his uncertainty towards love that affected him. He hadn't met a woman yet that could entice him or make him want to pursue after her.

Whenever he was asked to explain what he meant, he found it to be rather difficult. His usual response would be: 'I just haven't found the right person yet.' It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either because it wasn't the most accurate description of what he actually felt.

Naruto was pulled from his pensive thoughts when he heard Sakura sobbing next to him. His eyes widened with surprise at seeing her in such a broken state. It was at times like this Naruto felt like he didn't really know Sakura at all; she always seemed so distant and lost to him, as if his words would only be meant with emptiness. Naruto had concluded he just was not the man to do it. It had saddened him to decide that, but he knew it was for the best.

Despite all of this, Naruto put his arm around her, and she quickly embraced him. They had each other in that moment, and that felt like it was enough. When Sakura had stopped crying, she had looked up at him with ruddy, tired eyes. "Come back soon, OK?" Her whispers were dull and muffled under the pale stars.

Naruto smiled softly and brushed a hand against her tear-stained face gently. "OK," he whispered back. Naruto left a few minutes after that; that was the last time he had seen her.

The next day, Naruto said goodbye to everyone else. Every single person in Konoha had gathered at the village gates to express their gratitude for their hero and share their farewells to him. They showered him with gifts and praise as he passed all of them to reach the gate that day. Young women cried, and the men shouted with pride at knowing him. If there had been anything that would have given him pause to wonder if he should have left, it was the sight of all his friends in the state of reluctance. They all stood there next to the village gate with mixed expressions.

Shikamaru tried to act cool and disinterested about his leaving, but Naruto knew he was having a difficult time. Rock Lee was bawling uncontrollably that day until Naruto told him he would be much stronger when he returned, which had caused the  _taijutsu_  master to become overly driven for the next year or so.

Ino gave her regards to Naruto and didn't seem to be particularly bothered about his leaving, at least outwardly. Sai was strangely anxious about Naruto's journey, but with a few kind words from the young hero, he appeared to be in a better mood. Chōji gave Naruto a pat on the back and told him to come back stronger than ever.

Tenten said to make Neji proud and to remember who his friends were. Kiba gave him a thumbs-up and mentioned he would relinquish the title of Hokage to Naruto when he returned. Naruto grinned at that gesture from his friend. Yamato presented the basic pleasantries and fist-bumped Naruto. Konohamaru said he would be far stronger when Naruto returned and wanted to spar as soon as he got back.

When the awkward moment came to speak to Hinata, Naruto had brushed aside his negative feelings and wished her well. The gentle Hinata accepted his friendly words and bowed respectfully to her former-love. Tsunade, on the other hand, was a lot less subtle. She almost squeezed the life out of Naruto and begged him not to leave. Kakashi pried her off of him and even then, she was still noticeably upset.

Kakashi provided Naruto with a map of the surrounding nations and where he recommended he should go first—Amegakure had been quiet as of late. They hadn't heard from the shinobi in that area for quite some time, and he wanted Naruto to investigate the problem if there was one. He told Naruto that he had notified all of the other Kage about his mission, and that they would greatly welcome his company whenever he arrived. He handed Naruto a small scroll that stated his mission and approval to enter any Allied Nation and the surrounding nations with the Hokage's official signature. The Hokage ordered Naruto to send a report as often as possible during his mission via a messenger toad.

"Remember," Kakashi reminded him before he left, "there's no rush. Take your time with this. You can truly come back whenever you want; however, I expect you to be ready to be Hokage if you do." For the entirety of his journey, Naruto never forgot the staidness behind his master's words nor the intensity in his sable eyes. "If you come back and you're not ready, you can forget about becoming Hokage."

Naruto swallowed and felt his resolve burning. "You got it, Kakashi- _sensei._  I'll be ready."

Naruto remembered that day being sunny and bright—a perfect day to travel. Garbed in black traveling clothes and a brown hooded traveling cloak, Naruto took his first step past the village gate. Naruto strapped his large satchel around his shoulder; it was filled with money, rations, clothes, scrolls, and other necessary items. He waved to his friends when he began his peregrination, and the whole village had waved back and shouted their farewells to the hero until his figure disappeared beyond the western horizon.

That had been forty days ago, Naruto realized with cold discernment. He decided to take Kakashi's advice and took his time in reaching Amegakure. For an average shinobi that went max-speed, they could reach Ame from Konoha within three days. For Naruto—with the help of Kurama—he could probably reach the village in a few hours. Obviously, Naruto didn't want to move that fast, so he maintained a slow and steady pace every day.

He would walk for about eight hours a day then find a cozy meadow or tree to rest for the night. He passed the occasional inn or village every now and then, and he would usually stay there for a few days. Sometimes, if the village was particularly comfortable or friendly, he would stay for a number of days until he felt it was best to move on. Needless to say, every village was sad to see him leave.

Naruto was currently close to the western border of Hi no Kuni, and the country where Ame was located was near. Naruto could feel the density around him, and the humidity increased every step he took. He could feel his bandaged right prosthetic tighten slightly, something that usually occurred right before it rained. The rain clouds that had originally seemed so far away before, were now almost directly over him. Naruto pulled up his hood and smiled as it started to sprinkle on him. He had learned to appreciate the rain in recent years, especially because it reminded him of Nagato.

Even though Naruto had his hood up, some raindrops fell upon his face; clear, delicate beads dripped from his long bangs. He allowed his spiky, blonde hair grow out recently, and it was now slightly longer than his fathers had been. He had also grown substantially in height and physique. He maintained a lean yet muscular frame that had earned more than a few stares from the opposite gender.

The sun had left his vision about an hour ago, and the night was quickly approaching. The rain became a downpour within minutes, and Naruto scanned the area for some place to spend the night. It was early summer, so the rain wasn't freezing, but Naruto surmised he didn't want to be soaked to the bone all night.

He found a large, hollowed-out tree that was still dry on the inside off the side of the dirt path. He crouched down and huddled his body into it. The dead tree was warm and pleasant, and the blond had no trouble sleeping that night. Naruto drifted off to the sound of millions of raindrops bouncing against the leaves of the forest around him, and he couldn't conceive of a more peaceful melody to fall asleep to.

* * *

Amegakure was usually poorly categorized as a village, but the truth was it was more like a city than a small town. Konoha was far bigger, but it didn't contain the large metal buildings that Ame proudly possessed. It almost always rained in Ame, and all the water converged into the massive lake surrounding the village. The lake was the village's means of protection and provided a sense of isolation as well. Travelers and merchants wishing to reach Ame would usually take a ferry or boat to get across. In the past, travelers would have to go through a plethora of screenings and questions to visit the village, but nowadays it was much more lenient. There was a small docking facility on the outskirts of the lake that welcomed, screened, and shipped newcomers to Ame.

In the early morning hours, a hooded figure approached the Customs Building, and the shinobi on duty greeted him in a bored tone. "Welcome to Customs," the Ame-nin announced with disinterest. The hooded man unveiled himself and smiled at the ninja. Naruto's grin was broad, and his electric-blue eyes sparkled brilliantly in the morning rain. Naruto may have mellowed out excessively over the last couple of years, but he was still his cheery, positive self.

"Hello! I would like to visit Ame if that's all right."

The Ame-nin's eyes practically bugged out at seeing Naruto's face. Naruto shouldn't have been surprised, but he did help save the entire world and all of humanity, so it was easy for him to see why he was recognized so quickly all the time. The Ame-nin started stumbling over his words as he tried to address Naruto.

"Uzumaki-san!? Of course, you may be allowed to visit!" The ninja was unsure of where to put his hands all of a sudden and settled with saluting Naruto. Naruto gave him a curious expression but flashed him another smile.

"Great! I'll be going then!" Naruto's voice rang merrily as he strolled towards the surface of the lake. The shinobi peeked his head out the window with surprise.

"Where are you going? The dock is that way," the Ame-nin yelled as he pointed to the right of where Naruto was heading. Naruto just waved and hollered back.

"It's fine. I don't need a boat. I can walk." The shinobi just stared in marveled awe as he saw Naruto casually cruise on top of the water. Ninja had done it before, of course, but the way the hero carried himself provoked a sense of respect.

The Ame-nin slowly came to realize he may have met the strongest shinobi in the entire world and he didn't even go through the proper security checks with the hero. He should probably notify his officers about the meeting he just had, he thought to himself as he ran off in search of his captain.

Naruto didn't really recognize the fact he was walking on water when he did it. It had become second nature to him years ago and was as simple as walking on land. He could easily skate across the water if he wanted to but again—no rush. He loved taking his time now. After living most of his life always hurrying and never stopping to ponder, Naruto had learned to savor every precious moment he was given.

Naruto ventured farther out and when he was about halfway across the lake, a high-ranking Ame-nin slowly emerged from the murky liquid below. The war hero didn't falter at the sight of the random shinobi because he had sensed his presence ever since the ninja had plunged into the lake several minutes ago. He didn't detect any danger nor ill-intent from the officer, so there was no need to be on guard. When the officer broke the surface in front of him, Naruto bowed respectfully to the man. The mental voice of Sakura's ravings about his lack of etiquette was a great reminder to keep his manners in check.

"Good morning," Naruto stated cheerfully.

Over the last few years or so, Shikamaru had been helping Naruto with observing people's habits and subtle consistencies to get a read on their mental condition. He had followed his friend around the village and learned from facial expressions of people and how they carried themselves. Shikamaru told him that most individuals, including shinobi, gave away much more information through their body language, tone of voice, eye contact, hand movements, and posture than they ever did through their words.

The officer currently in front of him was stoic and slightly on edge. Naruto could tell the shinobi was confused and apprehensive about him being there. His face was stern and gave away nothing, but there was another feeling the officer was showcasing through the soft convulsions of his hands—fear. Naruto smiled as wide as possible, so he didn't increase the man's fright. He knew his smile was excellent at setting people at ease.

It seemed to work because the shaking halted when the officer spoke back. "Good morning, please state your name and business." The officer had a matter-of-fact tone with no faltering in his words. He clearly already knew his name, but Naruto decided to play along.

"Naruto Uzumaki," he stated. "I am presently on a mission by the Rokudaime Hokage. Please, read this." Naruto pulled the scroll Kakashi had given to him from an inside pocket in his cloak. The officer calmly grasped the scroll and quickly scanned its contents.

When he finished reading it, the Ame-nin handed it back to Naruto and cleared his throat. "Everything seems to be in order." The officer bowed. "We are honored to welcome the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War, Naruto Uzumaki, to our peaceful village. Please, stay as long as you like."

Naruto bowed back again and rubbed the back of his neck modestly when he stood upright. "Thank you very much. If you don't mind, I have a quick question to ask before you." Naruto wasn't sure if he liked the slight emphasis in the officer's voice when he had said 'peaceful.'

"Of course." The officer appeared to be at ease, but there was a rigidness about him that spoke of darker secrets.

Naruto tried to make the matter seem minor to his interests. "Is everything well in your village? Konoha hasn't been receiving updates or reports from Ame in quite some time." Naruto's suspicions became definite when the man rolled gently back on his heels at the question. It was subtle, but it didn't escape his eye. The officer was nervous at answering him; Naruto was certain of that.

"Everything is superb, Uzumaki-san." Naruto noticed the gentle twitch of the man's hands at his subtle lie. This guy has really got to control his hands, Naruto thought to himself.

"It has been so serene and quiet here that we have had no need to report anything, whatsoever. I hope that is a formidable excuse, Uzumaki-san. If you would like, I will personally start writing a monthly update to Konoha. However, it will most assuredly be filled with uneventful instances and dull resource lists."

Naruto nodded and accepted the man's falsehood. He would need to investigate what was really going on himself. That was fine. He liked that more, anyways. He thanked the man and meandered around him with calm grace.

As Naruto was walking away, the officer said one last thing: "I hope you run into the other future Kage that is staying with us, too." Naruto paused for a second at the cryptic statement but then continued his sojourn towards Ame in silence.

For the rest of the way across the lake, Naruto contemplated the officer's words. Another future Kage? Did that mean there was a shinobi from one of the other nations on a similar mission as him? Naruto would have to find out. His thoughts stopped when he was a few yards from the end of the lake. Naruto looked down at the ripples forming around his feet. His master and godfather, Jiraiya, had fallen in this lake; that was what Fukasaku, the elder toad sage, had told him. Naruto still greatly missed his old master and smiled sadly down at the place where Jiraiya had been slain. He stopped to give a quick prayer on his behalf before he stepped out of the water and onto dry land.

Naruto had never visited Amegakure before and was utterly astounded by the giant skyscrapers that towered above him. He attempted to keep to the shadows as much as possible to not draw any more attention to his recognizable features. Blond hair would easily contrast with the stormy, dark colors of the city, so he kept his hood up. He could have performed a  _henge,_  but Naruto didn't want to alert any of the higher-level shinobi in the area.

Naruto carefully inspected all his surroundings and tried to assess the area as thoroughly as possible. The citizens he encountered seemed to be cheerful and calm for the most part. Shop owners yelled and joked off the side of the streets, and the village bustled merrily. Aside from the constant rain, it felt like any other village. He would need to stay here for a while longer to find the source of the anxiety the officer had possessed during Naruto's questioning.

After an hour of traversing through the village, Naruto noticed a small restaurant at the corner of one of the larger buildings. He decided on satiating his growing hunger and taking a much-needed break. Naruto stepped into the bar and dropped his hood. Luckily, there was hardly anyone attendant in the little restaurant this morning. Naruto observed a few strangers eating a late breakfast and a lone hooded figure sitting at the bar counter.

Naruto casually sat down at the bar, next to the hooded patron, and relaxed his tired leg muscles as he beckoned over a server. The server came over and took his order. Naruto asked for some tea and a steaming bowl of ramen. It had been much too long since he had enjoyed his favorite dish. He was beyond ecstatic when he saw that it was a choice on their front menu.

After the server wrote down his order and departed, Naruto looked to his left and observed the stranger next to him. He realized they were drinking some  _saké_  out of a small cup and widened his eyes marginally in disbelief.

"A little early for alcohol, isn't it?" Naruto inquired with a sardonic tone. The hooded figure must have noticed him for the first time because they shifted slightly and mumbled something. The light pitch of their voice told Naruto that it was a young woman underneath the cowl.

"Not if you can handle it," she retorted. The woman's chide carried a hint of aggression, but it was mostly comprised of effrontery. At that moment, the woman unveiled her hood and gazed up at Naruto with a playful glint in her eye. The glint quickly disappeared once pure surprise replaced it. Her mouth gaped open and her pink, pupil-less eyes widened greatly. "Naruto Uzumaki?"

Naruto looked at her quizzically. There was only person he had met in his past that had those mesmerizing eyes. She had grown her hair out since the last time he had seen her, and her Iwa headband had been discarded. "Kurotsuchi?" Naruto blinked in hesitation then smiled brightly. "Wow! It's been a while, huh?"

Kurotsuchi closed her mouth and felt her face get hot in embarrassment. She was talking to the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War and had lost her well-known composure for a second. She was also amazed by how much Naruto had grown in the last four years. His face was more pronounced and masculine. The rest of his body had filled in as well, and he was nothing short of a strong, handsome man now. Kurotsuchi took a deep breath and tried to collect herself. She was not going to lose her pride by speaking to a pretty face, but she still wanted to have a little fun.

"It certainly has, Uzumaki. And why have I been blessed with your presence in Ame, this morning?" she asked calmly.

Naruto was unsure as to why, but he found the small smirk on Kurotsuchi's mouth to be quite delightful. He fastened his cerulean eyes to hers and attempted to mirror her expression. "I just happen to be passing by. And I believe I'm the one who has been truly blessed this lovely morning, young lady." Naruto was thoroughly enjoying himself, and he could tell Kurotsuchi was too. They were fighting a battle of wits, trying to obtain information that neither were willing to give up easily; it was a shinobi thing.

She didn't waver at his charm. "We're rather far from Konoha, aren't we? It's a little odd to see someone of your status skulking about." She kept her voice loose with a ring of ardor laced within.

"Yeah, it's odd, but I wouldn't call it 'skulking'. I prefer 'checking out'. Also, if I recall correctly, Iwa is only a few days away, too."

Kurotsuchi narrowed her eyes slightly but kept the smirk. Their nations were allies, and she knew there was no reason to be so cautious, but she was enamored by the wit of the man before her. If her memory was accurate, she was certain it was a recent development for him. She brought her hand up to her face and rested it on the side of her cheek, showing off her freshly-polished fingernails. "For a man that should have passed the Hokage, I wonder as to why you have left your village, hero…" She kept a precise flair to her inflection that she was rather proud of.

Naruto couldn't help but grin at that subtle jab she gave. He decided to be a bit more direct in his approach. Fishing for information was turning out to be much more enjoyable this time around for him. "Funny you should say that, considering you should be the Tsuchikage by now." He was hoping that would break her mask—but it didn't. Kurotsuchi's smirk merely got bigger.

Kurotsuchi didn't expect him to come back with a stronger retort. She wasn't sure if she should give him something to play with or to be more ambiguous. She settled on adding more to the conversation. "It just so happens that I'm on an S-ranked mission, hero. My grandfather is going to give me the title of the Yondaime Tsuchikage when I return."

She was startled when Naruto's smile vanished, and his eyebrows rose in awe. This peculiar man was demonstrating a formidable range of emotions, and Kurotsuchi was uncertain as to what she felt about that; she certainly didn't anticipate him to be that surprised.

Naruto had never participated in such playful banter before and was amazed at his own words, but now he was even more astounded. The sheer coincidence was baffling. "That's remarkable, Kurotsuchi! Kakashi assigned me the same mission." Naruto dropped his intentional charm and possessed nothing but pure amazement on his features. Kurotsuchi's facade seemed to fall as well at his proclamation. She blinked and remained silent for a few seconds.

After the pause, she smirked again. "Let me guess—the Hokage wanted you to investigate Amegakure's silence, too?"

Naruto caught on and grinned cheerfully. "Yes. I take it they haven't reported to Iwa either?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"They haven't." Her smirk was small, but it held such a heavy amount of pulchritude to it that Naruto was having difficulty focusing on his words.

"I see. You don't happen to have any leads?" Naruto's eyes were not so distracted to neglect the fact that the server had just placed his order of ramen in front of him.

Kurotsuchi stood up out of her chair and flashed another playful smile at him. Naruto would be lying if he said he didn't appreciate the sparkle in her rosy eyes. "I don't believe I do, I'm afraid. Now, if you'll excuse me." She turned to leave.

Naruto wanted to follow her. He told himself that such reasoning was because he wanted to know more about Ame's predicament; however, he was horrible at convincing himself of anything other than the truth. Instead, rather than part with his delectable ramen, he tried to appeal to her.

"Perhaps, you'd like to accompany me for a casual date, then?"

Kurotsuchi's eyes flashed innocence as she tilted her head at him. "Why, I thought we were already on one?" The smile she gave him should have melted his bones away. It would have if she had made use of her Lava Release. At that point, he would have welcomed such a reaction. "Maybe next time you'll be more aware of that fact. Goodbye, hero." With that, she was gone.

Naruto looked back at the spot where she had departed and couldn't seem to wipe the large grin off his face. He ate his anticipated meal in silence and then asked the server where the nearest inn was.

As Naruto was crossing the drowned street towards the small inn a few minutes later, he reflected on the gorgeous woman he just encountered as the heavy rain fell upon his strong frame. Naruto rarely talked like that, and it was slightly unsettling how he acted towards the Iwa kunoichi. He was not ashamed of his words, but he was wary of them. Naruto remembered Kurotsuchi had appeared to look like a boy with her hair and figure four years ago, but today she was very much a woman in his eyes. Her features had filled in, and Naruto recalled she was wearing red nail polish. Her beyond-shoulder-length haircut and her laughing, salmon-colored eyes enthralled the young blond. He liked the way she smirked and exchanged verbal sword-play with him. He wanted to speak with her more. During the war, he had seen her fight and knew a few basic details about her, but he knew even her grandfather better than her, and that fact perturbed him.

With these thoughts in mind, Naruto barely recalled walking up to the innkeeper, paying for a room, and climbing up the stairs to reach his temporary lodging. He finally noticed he was standing in front of his room and swayed his head to shake away his daze. He stepped into his room and closed the door. The accommodation was furnished with a small coffee table, a hardwood desk and chair, a twin-size bed; a small restroom, and a dresser. Naruto shook his somewhat-damp hair and fished a scroll from his satchel before dropping it to the ground gently. He threw his cloak aside and sat down at the hardwood desk.

Naruto opened the scroll, which was blank, and began writing a message to Kakashi. The scroll gave a general report of the last few days and spoke of small details concerning mundane yet meaningful events. In the last paragraph, Naruto mentioned his suspicions concerning Ame's status and how he would continue his investigations promptly. He also added the confrontation with Kurotsuchi and asked if the Hokage had known any information about her peculiar mission. He signed the scroll at the bottom and summoned a messenger toad to bring the message to Kakashi.

After the toad vanished in a poof of white smoke, Naruto leaned back in his chair and pondered more about the beautiful, young woman he had confronted that day. It was still midday, but Naruto felt surprisingly fatigued already. He rested his eyes for a moment and decided he would not mind seeing a certain pair of soft, pink eyes again in the near future.


	2. To Step Forward

 

_"The greatest obstacle to being heroic is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one's self a fool; the truest heroism is, to resist the doubt; and the profoundest wisdom, to know when it ought to be resisted, and when to be obeyed."_

_-Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance_

* * *

The rain battered against the glass of the window, and the dissonant noise disturbed the tranquil quality of the quiet room. Naruto awoke to the sound of the rain, and he recalled falling asleep to it as well.

It certainly does rain a lot around here, he thought as he took his bearings.

Sometime during the night, Naruto must have fallen onto his bed because he was currently sprawled upon it, still garbed in his travel clothes. He sat up and examined the window next to his bed; it was colored silver by the fresh raindrops and was slightly paled by the late morning light. He was fairly certain he had slept for a whole twenty-four hours. He didn’t know he had been so tired and chuckled inwardly at himself.

After Naruto showered and was fully dressed, he went to the innkeeper at the front desk and paid to stay for a few extra days. The innkeeper looked up at him suspiciously. She was a frail, old woman who seemed to be rather prudent in her methods. "You look oddly familiar, young man," she said as she peered up at him over her cloudy eyeglasses.

Naruto rubbed the nape of his neck and smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Naruto lifted his hood up and covered his head to conceal himself from anyone else who might find him 'familiar'. As he shuffled through the flooded streets, he pondered what should be the next step in his investigation. He needed to find some more intel about what was happening in Ame.

He surmised he would most likely be not receiving any additional information from any of the high-leveled shinobi in the village concerning the events of yesterday morning. Perhaps, he would have better luck with someone of a lower-rank. Fortunately for him, he found his target a few minutes later—a lanky _genin_ traversing through the streets alone. The _genin_ seemed to have a lackadaisical attitude about him as he swung his arms about in a careless motion.

Naruto trotted behind him, allowing his steps to be a little too loud in hope of the _genin_ taking notice of him. The _genin_ turned around and looked with conjecture at the blond. As he got within an arm's reach of the lad, Naruto noticed the orange sash around the boy's left arm. Naruto's grin was massive and genuine at seeing his favorite color. He had changed his wardrobe to black to ensure his mission's security, but he had missed his old clothes greatly. He promised himself if he found a suitable article of clothing that was orange during his journey, he certainly wouldn’t neglect the chance.

"Good morning!"

The _genin_ seemed to be slightly nervous at speaking to the tall blond man in front of him, but he didn’t seem to recognize who he was. Naruto had discarded his headband and left it back in Konoha, so unless a person recognized him out rightly, they would be unable to affiliate him with his village. Nevertheless, his strong features and impressive physique tended to intimidate people; the _genin_ was no exception.

"Good morning, citizen." The boy's greeting was laced with anxiety.

Naruto tried his best to be polite, but he didn’t want to dance around his investigation. "If you don't mind, I was wondering if you could help me? Has there been anything odd happening in this village lately?"

The _genin_ immediately began to shake and fidgeted with his fingers uncontrollably. "Oh, um…so you’re a foreigner? I’m sorry—but I… uh…don't know what you're talking about." Small beads of sweat started to form around his pale face.

Naruto blinked and quirked an eyebrow. He wasn’t trying to frighten the poor boy. He simply wanted to obtain information. Naruto decided honesty might be the best approach with the young _genin_. He dropped his standard conduct and spoke with his much more preferred manner. "Look; I'm actually a very strong shinobi from Konoha." He kept his tone low. "I'm worried about the people of this village and if you know anything about what is going on around here, then please tell me, so I can help them."

The _genin_ seemed to calm down at Naruto's gentle words and looked around the immediate area. There was also a childish-like innocence in the blond's blue eyes that resonated within the youth of the boy—something he hadn’t seen from anyone before. "OK, but not here." The genin looked down a closed off alley. "Follow me."

Naruto followed the young boy until they were safe from prying eyes and ears. The alley was dank and humid but drier than the street. Naruto leaned against one of the walls and gazed intently at the _genin_ , waiting for his explanation. "Ever since our Angel died years ago,” he began, “we've had a lot of men come in and try to be our village leader. At first, we had a few of our _jōnin_ step up and try to lead but many were too inexperienced to watch after an entire village. Finally, one of our strongest shinobi, Souji, decided to take over and things were fine for a little while."

The _genin_ struggled to continue. "We were just fine until _he_ came along—a gang leader named Noritaka. He's far stronger than our leader and could have easily defeated him but instead of just killing him, he's using him. He works behind the scenes and tells Souji what to do. If our leader doesn't listen, Noritaka says he will massacre the entire village." The _genin_ clenched his fists and started to shake again in resentment. "The worst thing is that he's perfectly capable of doing just that. His gang is massive and strong. He wants to build Ame up until it's strong enough to be a threat to even the Shinobi Union. For this reason, he's forced parents to make their children become ninja. I've never wanted to be a ninja. I don't like fighting, but he forced me to do it. If you disagree with him or don't do what he tells you, he gets rid of you."

The _genin_ started to weep. "He's a murderer and a horrible man! I've even heard rumors about how he does even more terrible things to the civilians here. Worse things. Things he does in the night to women..." Naruto felt a cold shudder run through his spine at the boy's words. "This never would have happened if Lord Pein or God's Angel were still around."

Naruto sighed. He remembered Nagato and Konan as well and missed them greatly. He knew if they were still alive today, then they never would have let any of this happen. But they weren't here; he was.

The _genin_ straightened himself and tried to wipe his flushed, tear-stained face. "I shouldn't be crying but...I don't understand. Our Angel said that we would always be protected by Naruto Uzumaki, the man that freed Lord Pein. The same man that saved the world years ago. But he hasn't saved us. Why?" He buried his head into his small hands.

Naruto closed his eyes for a second and was contemplative. If he had known beforehand, then maybe he could have done something. No, that wasn’t fair. It wasn’t his fault horrible circumstances occurred to good people. The lack of acting purely based off ignorance couldn’t be used to condemn a person. What really mattered was what a person did in the present. They couldn’t change the past. It hurt a person to fix their eyes on the past for too long. So, Naruto opened his eyes and stood upright.

"Tell me, have you ever seen Naruto Uzumaki?" Naruto asked the boy.

The _genin_ lifted his eyes from his wet palms. "No, I saw a picture once, but I don't really rememb-." His eyes widened when he gazed up into Naruto's ocean-blue eyes.

It may have been gray and stormy that day, but the genin always remembered seeing those eyes shine with brilliant radiance. In that moment, the boy realized the hero was here, and he forgot his sense of hopelessness. The war hero had an interesting way of doing that to people.

Naruto leaned over and put his hand on the boy’s head. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki," he announced with dynamism. "I'm sorry it's taken so long. I promise I'll protect all of you." The young boy's eyes were filled with pure awe as Naruto made the strongest, yet simplest, declaration he had ever heard. "Now, where is this Noritaka?"

The boy was speechless for a few seconds, but he quickly summoned his wits. "He lives in Lord Pein's old building—the tallest tower in the city. You should find him there." The genin was still slightly dazed by Naruto's demeanor.

Naruto nodded and turned his back on the _genin_. He took a few steps forward and without looking back, he gave his promise: “I’ll take care of it.”

With that, Naruto slowly marched down the alleyway. The _genin_ stared at his back as he left. Something crossed the boy's mind as he saw the hero leave; it was not a careless thought nor an unrealistic one. The _genin_ simply realized what a protector was. Many years later, he would tell others about what he saw that day. He would say he saw a man who took responsibility and thought of others before himself. He would say he saw a hero.

* * *

 

Noritaka was by no means a foolish man. He was proud to say he was as shrewd and as cunning as his late father had been. Those who had known his father well agreed with him because they knew if he was anything like him at all, then it was best to concede with the man. They also knew Noritaka's temper was as short as his height. Of course, it was wise to not mention that in his presence.

His father had passed away three years ago due to a deadly virus. After that, Noritaka had become the gang leader. For some time, Noritaka's gang had moved and robbed like common bandits in the wilderness until they had stumbled upon Ame. At the time, the village’s shinobi forces were small and weak while their leader, Souji, was still unfamiliar with his new role. Noritaka took advantage of this and overwhelmed the young _jōnin_. The man was by no means weak either; in fact, he was quite sufficient in _kenjutsu_ and Earth Release.

Unfortunately for Souji, Noritaka was better.

Instead of simply killing Souji, however, after he had defeated him, Noritaka concluded to lead the village in the shadows. He told Souji what to do but to an outside viewer it would appear Souji was making all of the decisions. Most of the citizens had quickly figured out Noritaka was behind all the village dilemmas, but they were dealt with if they spoke up. As a result, no one said a word about Noritaka on fear of death or worse.

All of Noritaka's men were skilled fighters and greatly outnumbered the Ame-nin. Noritaka quickly put most of his men who were efficient enough with chakra into the Ame shinobi ranks to make sure there were no uprisings. As a result. almost all the shinobi officers were Noritaka's subordinates. It was easier to control the masses that way and was a great start to reaching his goals.

Noritaka's men were aware of his 'hobbies' and usually didn’t speak about it in front of him. He would take women from the village at night and bring them into his chambers. Sometimes, the guards would have to clean up after their leader and would find some of the women dead. Even if they weren’t dead, many times they begged to be.

Noritaka's chambers were located high above the village in the tallest tower, adjacent to Souji's dwelling for good measure. That morning, Noritaka was greatly troubled and had been trying to eat his breakfast when one of his men entered the room. It was one of his officers and he bowed to Noritaka with great admiration.

Noritaka looked up at him with irritation set in his beady eyes. He was a short and stocky man. He had tied his balding, dark hair back in a short ponytail and was currently wearing a green _kimono_. "What is it?" he asked annoyed.

The officer stood up and kept his face as emotionless as possible. "We have located Naruto Uzumaki. He was seen leaving his inn earlier this morning. Unfortunately, we quickly lost sight of him and are unable to locate his current whereabouts." Noritaka threw a half-filled bowl of _miso_ at the officer who suddenly dodged it and winced away from his leader.

"Are you fucking joking?!" Noritaka roared. The officer was noticeably startled by his leader's actions. His usual sallow face was visibly red. "You said you located him, but then you lost him? If you don't know where he is now, then why even bother telling me, you piece of shit?!" The officer quickly bowed to apologize, but he still had more news to give.

"Please forgive me, Noritaka-sama," the officer begged, "but the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Kurotsuchi, is here to see you again." Noritaka's demeanor instantly changed at that announcement.

"Well, send her in!" A large grin formed along his thick lips. The officer bowed one last time and left the room.

Noritaka shifted in his seat and prepared himself mentally for his unexpected visitor. Despite his current good fortune, he had been on edge almost all yesterday. He received the report stating Naruto Uzumaki—the hero of the Fourth Shinobi World War—was temporarily residing in Amegakure.

Noritaka had had enough to worry about when Kurotsuchi came to the village a week ago, now he had to be cautious of one of the strongest men to ever live. Noritaka had no idea that by not sending reports to the Union, they would send Naruto Uzumaki and Kurotsuchi over. Was Ame really that big of a deal? He certainly didn’t think so, but he had to remain calm. As long as he gave the Union what they wanted, and he kept his existence as hidden as possible, he’d be fine.

Of course, as soon as he heard the lovely Kurotsuchi was staying in his village he had invited her up to his chambers. She had been stoic and stone-cold to his advances, but he knew he would win in the end. She was strong, but Noritaka was positive he and his men could overpower her without suffering considerable losses. As long as Uzumaki didn’t come into the picture and he kept Kurotsuchi close, he would thrive in the shadows.

Kurotsuchi glided into the room as Noritaka was deep in thought. She stood in front of him wearing a long red dress underneath a black travel cloak. Her vibrant, pink eyes stared coldly at him. He wanted so badly to see those eyes look at him with fear and submission. Soon, he told himself. Very soon.

"Kurotsuchi, my dear!" he vociferated with a large, oily grin as he stood up. She was easily a head taller than he was. "To what do I owe the pleasure? I thought we already settled everything."

She scowled. "I ran into Naruto Uzumaki yesterday," she said with malice etched into her voice. "Guess what he told me?" Noritaka blinked and shrugged, hoping to feign ignorance. She didn’t seem to care whether he knew or not. "He said that you haven't been sending reports to Konoha, either." She leaned forward so her eyes were level with his and gave him an intimidating glare.

"Why is that, Noritaka?"

He swallowed down a nervous lump in his throat and collected himself. When Kurotsuchi had entered the village a week ago, she had immediately began asking questions to all his officers. She proved herself to be an extremely audacious and intrusive kunoichi. It hadn’t taken her long to find out Noritaka was the true leader of the village, and she had questioned his intentions and methods of leadership. He provided everything she demanded until she was supposedly satisfied. But she still didn’t leave, and Noritaka was having a hard time wondering if that was a benefit to him or not. Now that Uzumaki was around, he felt it wasn’t the former.

"Of course, that makes sense, doesn't it?" He tried to etch a sincere and calm smile onto his features. Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow. "You're all part of the Shinobi Union, aren't you? I would only need to send one report to one of you and then you would all have it, correct? And the reason I wasn't sending any reports before was becaus-"

"Because you didn't think you had to considering you're not actually part of the Shinobi Union? Yeah, I know." She crossed her arms and exhaled slowly. She still didn’t seem satisfed.

"Precisely,” replied Noritaka. “So, I'm having difficulty trying to see what the problem is?"

Noritaka feigned his best version of an innocent expression. Kurotsuchi felt embarrassed and that furthered her ire. She hadn’t analyzed any of that. The Shinobi Union was less than a year old, and it was easy to forget about their policies considering it was still relatively new. However, the fact that Noritaka knew about the regulations better than her when he claimed he wanted no part in it raised her suspicions. She didn’t trust the man and had good reason to think so. She had heard the rumors about the missing women around the village. She had no direct proof yet and until she found it, she wasn’t leaving Ame any time soon.

"Fine then. I'm still not done with you yet, though, so you better not slither away behind my back, all right?"

Noritaka expressed a fulsome grin. "Where would I go, my dear? Please, if you require anything else from me, don't hesitate to ask." Kurotsuchi gave a huff, rolled her eyes, and swiftly left the room without another word.

Once she was gone, Noritaka exhaled with great potency. He felt like he was holding his breath the entire time he was under that intense, coral-colored gaze. He wouldn’t stand for such blatant defiance and disrespect. The Iwa-nin needed to be taught proper discipline. Yes, she was easily a Kage-level shinobi, but he had ways to work around that. 

Noritaka called for one of his guards he knew was in the area. His guard knelt before him silently, waiting for his orders. Noritaka spoke with crisp composure. "Our guest has overstayed her welcome. Get the eight strongest together. I recommend you strike when she is resting. Do it tonight. I would like you to bring her back alive but if you have to—kill her." The guard bowed. He performed a _shunshin_ out of the room and left Noritaka to his thoughts. He stood up and looked out one of his windows upon the rainy village below. He grinned at the prospect of controlling more than just the small village and couldn’t wait to have a pleading Kurotsuchi in his hands.

* * *

 

 Naruto felt the rain drop upon his exposed skin as he maneuvered through the busy streets towards the tallest tower of the village. The rain around him was cool, but his blood felt hot. The information the _genin_ had given Naruto was slowly enraging the blond with every step he took. He thought he had already handled all the evil in the world. Many of his friends and allies had died trying to bring about this era of peace, and the fact that there were still monsters out there infuriated him. He was not about to let other people suffer, especially if there was something he could do to help.

As he swiftly turned a street corner, Naruto saw a flash of red pass him and turned his head to examine it. The source of the vivid color also turned their head.

Naruto and Kurotsuchi fastened their gazes to each other and both pairs of eyes widened in bewilderment. Suddenly, Naruto felt his rage subside when her rosy eyes bore into his. They both had stopped in motion and for a few seconds, there was nothing but the sound of the rain falling around them. Naruto noticed a hint of aggression in Kurotsuchi's expression, but he quickly deduced it wasn’t directed at him. She must have just finished speaking with someone who really irritated her. Naruto wanted to say something similar to what he had said the day before, something witty or charming; she beat him to it.

"Where are you going, hero?" she asked brusquely. Naruto was slightly startled by her straightforward question, but he also detected there was no bitterness in her tone.

"To the leader of this village,” he replied. “I've got to talk to him."

He didn’t need to be secretive with her and wasn’t proficient at doing so anyways. He wanted to speak with her more and greatly enjoyed her presence, but his sense of duty outweighed his feelings at that moment. He was about to turn around and head towards his destination when—to his astonishment—he felt a strong grip on his bandaged arm that held him back.

He looked over at Kurotsuchi to analyze her expression; there was a trace of concern buried in her face and any lingering thoughts of justice left his mind at the wondrous sight. Naruto could have easily freed himself from her grasp, but he certainly didn’t want to—not with a look like that.

"Please, don't go," she mumbled over the noise of water splashing around them. Naruto was speechless. Her eyes were downcast, and he detected an odd emotion in them. Was she actually worried about him? She surely knew how strong he was and how he could take care of himself, so it couldn’t be a question of prowess.

Naruto was seriously confused. This was different from the confident and evasive woman that he had met yesterday. "Why?" he asked.

Kurotsuchi squeezed his arm gently, and she tried to not consider his eyes. She didn’t want him to confront Noritaka. She knew that if the two met, Naruto would immediately apprehend the man and punish him for his transgressions. He could detect the evil intent in men, and it wouldn’t be difficult for the blond to see the corruption in Noritaka's heart. If he did all that without inexcusable proof, Noritaka would be able to squeak by, and Naruto would have to suffer the political ramifications of his actions. For a man wanting to be the next Hokage, it was best his reputation remained positive.

Of course, her logic was clearly flawed. The residents of Ame were acutely aware of Noritaka's habits and would have easily stood behind the war hero if such a situation called for it. But she didn’t consider this in that moment. Her mind was too addled with other problems, other worries—worries of piceous shades and visions.

The one other reason Kurotsuchi didn’t want Naruto to run in there was because of her sense of responsibility. She knew he could take care of himself, but Noritaka's gang was massive and were extremely unfair in their fighting styles. Despite her better reasoning, Kurotsuchi was, in fact, worried about him. She couldn’t say that, though.

She cleared her throat and attempted to think of a tactic to distract him, just for tonight. Her face heated up at the idea that crossed her mind, but she was certain it would work.

"Because I would like you to...accompany me for dinner," she finally said. She couldn’t dissipate the obvious blush showing on her face.

Naruto had been surprised a lot in these last few moments, but the amazement evident in his eyes was far greater this time around. He was so shocked by the declaration that he said nothing for several seconds. He forgot all about his recent mission in that moment.

Kurotsuchi released her grip on his arm and looked uncomfortable at his silence. This action broke him out of his stupor.

"Of course!" he answered.

Why in the world was he agreeing to such a horribly timed date? Many years later, Naruto would look back in reflection at this meeting where he learned something rather miraculous about females—when they wanted something bad enough, they typically got their way. The blond needed to save the village, but a beautiful woman was requesting his company. 

He blinked. "Um, where would you like to go?"

Kurotsuchi looked across the street at a ramen stand, and she pointed to it. "What about there?"

She saw a wide grin form around Naruto's face.

Maybe one quick meal couldn’t hurt, he thought. He nodded happily and the two shinobi strolled side-by-side to the small stand. They passed under the stand's banners and took their seats at the counter. After announcing their orders to the ramen chef, he retreated to the back and they were left alone.

Naruto was still slightly dazed by Kurotsuchi's invitation to dinner and was having trouble deciding what to say to her. He looked over at her with the corner of his eye. She was looking straight ahead and appeared to be unsettled about their current situation. Naruto was unsure about her intentions, and he didn’t like the sense of uneasines growing between the two of them with every passing second.

He cleared his throat loudly to get her attention. Kurotsuchi gazed at him inquisitively. "How's your grandfather?" he asked.

He wasn’t an expert at small talk, so he tried to ask about things he was genuinely interested in. He liked Onoki and hadn’t seen the old man in a few years. His question was sincere even if it was relatively trivial.

Kurotsuchi didn’t seem to be bothered by his poor attempt to start a conversation. "His back is still awful, but he's as strong as ever. That old man isn't going to die anytime soon."

Naruto observed the amused glint in her eye when she spoke about the Sandaime Tsuchikage. He liked talking about loved ones with other people in a positive manner; it was something he could easily relate with.

She kept her gaze fixed on him. "How's that Hokage of yours doing?"

Naruto grinned happily at the thought of his _sensei_. "He's great. Super busy, but still very healthy. Konoha is fantastic, and they're really enjoying the peace time. The Shinobi Union has been really helping the economy now that all of the shinobi are working together."

Kurotsuchi nodded and looked up at the chef who had set down the two orders of ramen in front of them. They thanked the chef, said grace, and began to eat their dinner. They ate in relative silence for some time with a few questions and answers strewn about between the two of them.

"How did you know that I had a deep love for ramen?" Naruto asked after the conversation ebbed into a more carefree tone. Despite his enjoyment over the pleasant meal, the apparent danger of the village was still in the back of his mind.

Kurotsuchi's eyes widened a tad at the question, but then a gleeful smile formed around her delicate lips. "I didn't. It was just a rough guess. Plus..." A twinkle shined through her rosy eyes. "I like it, too."

This was a woman after his own heart.

After the discussion reached the surface, Naruto began to realize he loved the way Kurotsuchi would speak her mind on occasion without thinking. It reminded him of himself sometimes. That trait had been especially problematic for him at a younger age, but it was one of the things people admired about him.

After their bowls were emptied and the ramen chef was paid, the two shinobi left the ramen stand. Naruto looked around the rainy environment and noticed it was already past dusk. He was losing time; there were lives on the line. But his selfishness—not an eccentricity he particularly considered—stopped him when Kurotsuchi gave him a small smile.

He decided on handling Noritaka after escorting Kurotsuchi back to her quarters. She had agreed to his proposal and the two of them set a slow pace towards her inn. Along the way, Naruto turned his head and looked at her.

He felt like he still barely knew her and that bothered him. Their conversations had been simple and light, and he wanted to change that. With the sound of their feet splashing into puddles and the muddied water forming around them, Naruto asked: "Why do you want to be the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi?"

She didn’t seem to be startled by the question, but she did take some time to respond. Eventually, her eyes glazed over. "I remember what you told Obito Uchiha during the war—along with every other member of the Shinobi Alliance—about how a Kage is not only the strongest shinobi in the village but also the one who cares the most. They are the one who is willing to go with their comrades into the unknown. I realized then that was what I wanted to be, too.” She looked up at him and a sincere, warm smile enveloped her face. “Basically, you inspired me, Naruto."

Naruto felt the impact of that smile, and it was mesmerizing. "I'm glad,” he remarked. “That's a wonderful reason. I think you're going to make a great Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi."

Kurotsuchi turned her face away from him, hoping to hide her creeping blush. She thanked him as they reached the entrance to the inn she was staying at. She gazed up at him once again and bowed slightly. "Thanks for accompanying me to dinner and escorting me here." She kept her tone polite but didn’t see a need to cover up her gratitude for his company. She had forgotten all about her initial reason for inviting him.

Naruto grinned. "You're welcome, Kurotsuchi! Let me know if you need me for anything else. Have a good night!" He made his way down the road and waved to her.

Kurotsuchi gave a small wave back as she retired for the night. "Night, hero."

Naruto had a large smile on his face as he stepped through the rain. His mood was bouncy, and he felt exuberant. He was in such an elated state that he almost didn’t notice a small dog on the side of the street. The messenger dog barked at Naruto, and he looked down to realize it was one of Kakashi's summons. There was a small scroll in its mouth and after he reached down and took the scroll, the dog vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Naruto found a nearby awning to read without getting the scroll wet and opened the message to read its contents.

_Dear Naruto,_

_Your report seems pretty standard, and I appreciate the information. Keep up the good work. I'm glad to hear that you made it to Amegakure. The intelligence you provided about your suspicions regarding the village should be further investigated. As for the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, I had no idea she was on a similar mission. The Union failed to enlighten me on that fact. They also should have told me they already sent Kurotsuchi to investigate Ame. Sorry about that. We're still trying to perfect our communication methods. Apparently, Onoki is just as shrewd and calculating as you would expect him to be. I had been hoping I was the only one to suggest a great plan, but I guess that old man thought of the same thing. Originality isn't my strong suit, I guess. Report back when you can._

_Sincerely,_

_Kakashi Hatake_

_Rokudaime Hokage_

Naruto smiled at the Hokage’s professional yet personal writing. After he was finished reading, he put the scroll into his satchel. He was about to head back to his inn when he felt something odd. He detected a presence above him.

He concealed himself underneath the awning and waited for the person to move. It seemed they didn’t know he was there and moved over to the building next to him. Naruto silently jumped up to the top of the building and hid behind some wooden crates.

Crouching a few feet in front of him was a masked shinobi covered all in black. They had a wireless radio attached to their ear and were speaking to someone over it. Naruto listened in on their conversation.

"The target has been dropped off," the shinobi stated over the radio. "The Konoha-nin walked her back to the inn. He's gone now. She has retired to her bedroom. Once she has fallen asleep, we will proceed with the plan."

Naruto narrowed his eyes and balled his fists. It was clear who they were after, and he wasn’t going to let their mission be successful. He noticed the Ame symbol on the shinobi's headband.

Naruto needed to locate the other shinobi that were surely in the vicinity. He sat down and tried not to move. He let the cool rain douse him as he felt the natural energy pass and circulate throughout the air. Even in this urban area, there was plenty to work with. After less than a minute of not moving, Naruto opened his yellow eyes to reveal the toad-like irises underneath.

He hastily detected there were seven more shinobi around the area. Each were scattered in different locations but were still relatively close to him. He quietly created seven clones, masking their presence with careful precision. He gave each one a minute amount of chakra; he was confident it wouldn’t take much.

The clones swiftly dispersed off to their respective targets. Once the clones were in position behind each of their targets among the surrounding buildings, they waited for the original Naruto to give the mental order.

With the beat of falling rain there to keep his head level, Naruto concentrated and gave the order.

Regrettably, one of the clones hit a small can when approaching its target and alerted the nearby shinobi. The Ame-nin yelled over their radio and the assassins were alarmed by the clones' presence.

The shinobi near the original Naruto quickly turned around only to see a small Rasengan being pushed into his chest. The Ame-nin fell off the side of the building completely incapacitated. Naruto felt four of his clones' memories hit him consecutively. Those four had managed to knock out their targets while the other three were having trouble. Naruto performed a _shunshin_ over to the nearest one and saw his clone sparring with one of the assassins.

Naruto had trained his clones to be far sturdier than they were in the past. They could take a punch or two—despite his careful fabrication of the last ones—and were proven to be great replicas of the original. The clone distracted the Ame-nin long enough for the original Naruto to throw a nature-enhanced punch into his skull. The shinobi flew into a pile of wooden crates and slipped into an unconscious state.

Naruto suddenly felt the memories of the other two clones hit him, and he turned his back to find the last two Ame shinobi standing behind him. Of course, he had already sensed them. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he should have applied more chakra to his clones. Well, it’s not like he was in trouble, after all. These guys were not to be underestimated, but his confidence was having a hard time staying still.

Naruto ran through the different scenarios and tactics he could use on the two of them but before he could execute any of them, both shinobi fell to the ground dead with a kunai lodged into each of the opponent's necks. He looked over to gaze upon a soaked Kurotsuchi dressed in an ornate red nightgown.

"You make way too much noise, hero," she chided with playful intent. She motioned to her wet nightwear. "Also, you owe me a new nightgown."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief and began to laugh. He should have been questioning how he hadn’t even noticed her, but instead he was enamored by that smirk she was displaying. This girl was something else, he mused as he reflected on the cheerful glint in Kurotsuchi's pink eyes.

 


	3. Let It Rain

" _There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."_

_-Edith Wharton_

* * *

The rain cleaved through the silky night. The water—painted sable by the darkness—splashed against the quiet village. The civilians were used to such weather and had grown accustomed to the sound of water trickling on their home, washing away what it could. Rain was all they had ever known, and they loved and loathed its existence equally. Their leaders were either wondrous deities or despicable tyrants, and they only prayed that when a new one appeared from the rain, they would be the former.

The people of Amegakure could only hope for peace and had decided long ago they would take whatever was given to them. They had deemed the reality of their situation was better to cope with than change, hoping to accept the false peace over the real thing. On a particular night that would later decide the foreseeable future of Ame, two foreign shinobi were on a mission to change that very dynamic.

"Wow, you really messed this guy up," Kurotsuchi commented as they observed the giant spiral wound in the Ame-nin's abdomen. Naruto scratched his head in embarrassment. He thought he had done a sufficient job holding back, but he still left the shinobi severely injured. Thankfully, he was still alive. Kurotsuchi crouched down and pulled off the shinobi's mask to reveal a man's visage.

Kurotsuchi splashed a can full of rainwater on the unconscious man's face. He sputtered and groaned out of his stupor. The man slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see a pair of fiery, pink eyes glaring down at him. He opened his mouth to yell, but Kurotsuchi covered it with her hand and spoke with a chilling inflection.

"If the next words out of your mouth aren't about the name and location of the one who sent you, I'm going to reach down into that wound and tear out your  _fucking_  intestines!" The man widened his dark eyes in bewilderment. Naruto also appeared to be baffled by Kurotsuchi's intimidation methods.

The Ame-nin was trembling with extreme fear and began to stutter uncontrollably. "I-uh, s-s-sorry. Um— N-Noritaka! He sent me!"

"Thought so," Kurotsuchi said nonchalantly as she stood up and turned her back to the man. Naruto raised an eyebrow in her direction, and she looked up at him coolly. "Let's go, hero."

As the kunoichi ventured farther out, Naruto paused and looked over at the man. He was still shaking and whimpering. With pity for him, Naruto concluded he was no longer a threat and followed after the retreating form of Kurotsuchi.

* * *

Shoko's family had lived in Amegakure for generations. There had been numerous leaders who had made various promises throughout the years about how they would change the quality of the village. It was always the same thing—just more empty promises. The Angel and Lord Pein had gotten closer than anyone else. Souji was a great and compassionate leader, but he was never allowed to thrive. Noritaka had come and changed that. Shoko was used to it by now. Misfortune was as constant in the village as the rain was.

Shoko hated the rain.

She wanted to know what the sun felt like again. Sunshine in Ame was extremely rare. It seemed that the occurrence of sunshine was parallel with the presence of a good leader. It was just another disappointment.

Shoko's husband had passed away over a year ago due to a virus, so now it was only her and her daughter. Her daughter, Megumi, was a beautiful and kind young lady. The sheer amount of suitors Shoko had to manage on a daily basis were baffling. Shoko loved Megumi. She knew that no matter who the leader was or what horrible atrocities occurred in the world as long as Megumi was with her, Shoko could endure.

Shoko had never wanted any of this to happen. She had only done what she thought was right. The shinobi had come to her house that night and told her Noritaka, their great village leader, required her daughter. Shoko had pleaded against it and begged them to reconsider. In the end, the only way they would be appeased was if someone took her daughter's place. So, she agreed to go with them to Noritaka if they left Megumi unharmed.

She had never been more reluctant.

The two guards practically dragged her through the flooded streets. The rain doused Shoko's hair, and she wanted to scream because of her unfortunate circumstances. She only wanted to be with Megumi and not in the rain. The rain only seemed to bring suffering and misery. Shoko had heard the saying around the village that stated the rain cleansed all the pain and worry people had, but she didn't believed that. Her past had never attested to that, and it certainly didn't now.

Rain didn't clean anything; it was only a symbol for the sorrow. It had rained when her husband died, it rained when her parents died, it was raining now; it was raining in her heart, it was  _always_  raining in Shoko's life. She wondered what the sun would bring if she could see it. It must have been better than this.

When they were only a block from the tower, one of the shinobi carrying Shoko looked at the other with lecherous intent in his eye. "Should we warm her up before we give her to him?" the Ame-nin asked his partner with a sickening grin.

The other ninja mirrored his grin and agreed. Shoko felt fear grip her soul and chill her conscience. The shinobi pushed her against a wall, and she yelped sharply from the pain. The man slapped her and began ripping off her dress. The rain descended upon her exposed skin, and the shinobi held down her legs while the other one began undoing his pants. She wanted to fight back and struggle, but she didn't see the point anymore. Bad events always happened in her life; it was just how life was. Shoko looked straight above her as the rain tried to clean, tried to make her forget.

The rain kept falling.

Suddenly, a giant, blue ball of spinning chakra flew straight into the Ame-nin standing up, and he was immediately thrown several meters away into the opposite wall. A large cavity was formed in the concrete from the strong impact.

The other shinobi—who was crouched holding down Shoko's legs—jumped up in a startled manner. He grabbed a  _kunai_  from his pouch and positioned himself into a combat stance. He couldn't see the attacker. He looked around his location with a panicked expression, his eyes darting back and forth with desperation. For a few moments, there was nothing. Then in one swift moment, a tall figure charged the man and incapacitated him with a solid punch to the jaw.

Shoko fell into a seated position with her back against the wall and looked up to witness her liberator. Shoko's eyes widened at the sight of an extremely attractive blond man she immediately recognized. The war hero, Naruto Uzumaki, smiled down at her with his messy, wet hair hanging loosely across his brow. He reached out his hand, and she grabbed it with disbelief.

He pulled her up to a standing position, and she wondered why she didn't feel the rain anymore. It was still falling, she was certain of that, but she seemed to have forgotten about it.

Naruto asked if she was all right, and she simply nodded. Shoko heard a feminine voice call from the end of the street, and Naruto looked over in that direction. Shoko saw a dark-haired woman gesturing for him to hurry up. He smiled sheepishly at Shoko. "Sorry about that. I got to go! Take care." He disappeared into the curtain of the night.

Shoko stood and stared into the rain for quite some time. The rain kept falling, and she decided it wasn't that bad, after all. The hero had barely spoken to her, but just his mere presence had given her the sunshine she had always craved.

She had always thought the rain was her enemy and that no good ever came from it, but at that moment, Shoko realized the rain had its own redeeming qualities. Maybe she could learn to enjoy it.

Sunshine was overrated, anyways.

* * *

Noritaka was growing impatient. Where was his woman? He had asked for the gorgeous young woman who lived with her mother earlier that day and had been waiting for what seemed like hours! Noritaka wanted to let out all of his recent pent-up frustration, and now there was nothing to release it out on. He grabbed his  _katana_  and marched down the hall adjacent to his room. Noritaka banged against the door at the end of the hall.

A tall, broad-shouldered young man opened the door and looked down at Noritaka. The amount of contempt in the young man's eyes was palpable. Noritaka frowned and pushed the man back farther into the room.

"Souji!" Noritaka yelled. "Spar with me!" Without saying anything, Souji stepped over to a small chest and took out his sword from it. He then nodded to Noritaka and left the room. Noritaka made a disgruntled noise with his mouth and followed after the young man. They traveled a few floors down via a wooden staircase until they came to a large room inlaid with  _tatami_ mats.

Souji stood in place on the far side of the room and took his fighting stance without a single word to his opponent. He raised his sword in front of him and appeared to be calm. Noritaka growled and took his unique fighting stance where he held the blade of the  _katana_  parallel to his face with the sharp edge aimed upwards. Before either man moved, Souji was already infusing Earth-natured chakra into his sword, making it more durable. Once he had a suitable amount of chakra in his blade, Souji dashed forward and swung his sword for Noritaka's chest.

Noritaka parried the attack and launched his fist heavily into Souji's stomach. Souji backed away wincing and Noritaka jumped towards him, swinging at his feet. Souji attempted to dodge the attack but the front of his legs were slashed, albeit not deeply. Souji felt the stinging pain in his legs and tried to ignore it. Before Souji could move, Noritaka moved behind him with extreme speed and cut into his opponent's back.

Souji fell to the mats with his back bleeding profusely, and Noritaka stood over him with a disappointed expression. "That was quicker than last time, Souji," Noritaka said languidly. "The gap is getting larger between us, it seems." Souji loathed the smile that formed on Noritaka's lips. "Tragic." Noritaka sheathed his sword and tied it to his waist. He stepped away from his defeated opponent and headed for the direction of the exit.

Before Noritaka exited the room, a large shockwave reverberated throughout the building and caused the small man to fall to his knees. Noritaka looked around incredulously and pondered where the source of such an explosion came from. With Souji completely forgotten, Noritaka left the room and went back to the long flight of wooden stairs. He peered down to see if there was any evidence of what was causing the sudden commotion in his tower. He saw one of his guards running desperately up the stairs and when he saw Noritaka, a wave of relief crossed over his features.

"Noritaka- _sama,"_  the guard shouted from below, "we have intruders!"

Noritaka frowned and called down to him. "Who are they?"

The guard's frightened eyes made Noritaka uneasy, his voice dropping. "Our two guests."

All of a sudden, the stairs started to creak and snap as another shockwave—far stronger than the earlier one—vibrated through the wood. Vital stress points were broken in the stairs and the entire construct began to fall apart. Noritaka infused chakra into his feet and hands and hung to the concrete wall as the wooden stairs were destroyed. The guard he had been conversing with was not so lucky. A wooden beam had struck his head and dazed him enough to fall with the rubble around him.

After the stairs were reduced to a messy pile of wood and the dust settled, Noritaka climbed up to the entryway he had entered from only moments ago. He glanced down at the wooden pile hundreds of feet below. There was a protracted, eerie moment of cracking wood and jumbled debris rising from the destruction below. Noritaka's beady eyes scanned the wreckage for the cause of such misfortune. His expression of scrutiny turned into sheer terror when a flash of yellow appeared out of thin air before him.

In a split-second, Noritaka was able to discern the flash as a large, powerful figure. The second after, he recalled seeing his adversary's eyes; they were blue. The figure was suspended in the air for a moment and quickly swung his leg directly into Noritaka's neck with such extreme force that the small man was sent flying off into the room behind him, breaking into several solid walls.

Naruto dropped onto the ledge and stepped into the room. He noticed the bleeding form of an Ame-nin next to him and walked over to investigate him. Naruto asked Kurama to give the poor man some chakra to heal him and the tailed beast obliged. As the red chakra began to heal Souji, Naruto turned his attention to the giant hole in the wall on the far side of the room. Naruto stood in place until he saw Noritaka emerge from the rubble. The small man was covered in scrapes and bruises. He coughed when he came into view.

Noritaka glowered at Naruto and reached for his  _katana_  that was still sheathed and strapped to his side. He drew the blade and took his stance. Naruto stared at him with stoic composure. Noritaka grinded his teeth in fury. "I don't care how strong you are, Uzumaki! I'll fucking ki—"

Noritaka had never witnessed such speed before when it practically seemed that the blond shinobi several meters in front of him had teleported to only a meter to his right. Noritaka was unable to finish his sentence because his enemy had thrown a punch into his cheek, and he was once again flown across the room and into the contiguous wall.

He fell to the ground in a heap and struggled to get to his feet. Naruto stood with the same stoic expression and spoke to the man. "A great fighter should acknowledge his opponent's strength," Naruto stated simply.

Noritaka clenched his fists and finally rose to his feet. "You think you're just the shit, don't you? This is my village an—"

"No." Naruto's interjection was strong and tenacious. "This is not your village to control. It never was. You're no leader. You've never shown any reason to deserve that title."

Noritaka was shaking with anger. "And you know what a leader is, Uzumaki?" he asked with venom in his voice.

Naruto nodded and tilted his head slightly. "Yes, not because I am one but because of the great ones I've seen." Naruto smirked gently and lowered his eyelids. "A leader shows compassion and continually works for those he leads. He paves the road for them to walk on and ventures out on that road with them." Naruto frowned and pointed an accusing finger at Noritaka. "You're not a leader. You're scum."

Noritaka felt like his teeth would break from how much pressure he was forcing upon them. He screamed in fury and ran towards Naruto. The blond remained still as his opponent forgot himself.

Noritaka yelled: "You're fucking dead, you piece-" When he was a few feet from him, a flash of red rushed at him and threw him to the ground.

Kurotsuchi stood over Noritaka with a  _kunai,_  and the pale man stared with raised eyebrows at her. She looked at him with disgust. "Shut the hell up," she uttered. In one motion, she sliced into Noritaka's throat and silenced him forever.

Naruto looked at her inquisitively, and Kurotsuchi shrugged at him as she stood up from her opponent's corpse. "Sorry I took so long," she said with no actual apologetic tone in her voice whatsoever. "He really did have an army." She observed the two giant holes in the surrounding walls and smirked sardonically at Naruto. "I'm surprised you didn't kill him in one hit." Her rosy eyes glistened in the dim lighting. "I know you could have."

Naruto gave her a wry smile. "I didn't want to kill him." He didn't say anything else and made his way to a healing Souji.

Naruto nodded to him with concern lacing his countenance. "You OK?"

Souji sat up and bowed slightly to Naruto. "Thank you. I wish I could have taken care of him myself but I wasn't str—"

Naruto cut him off, shaking his head. "Didn't you hear what I just told him? Strength has nothing to do with it." Souji looked at Naruto with awe. "Just pave the way." Naruto handed him a scroll and gestured to Kurotsuchi. She acknowledged him, and they quickly vanished from the room in two separate clouds of smoke.

Souji looked down at the scroll in his hand and opened it. It was a formal invitation to join the Shinobi Union. Souji lowered the scroll and thought about what Naruto told him. He knew the war hero was right, and he felt his determination grow with every passing second. He would be a great leader for Amegakure and would help the citizens rebuild what they had lost. Souji saw a light that day when he meant Naruto Uzumaki, and he was not going to ignore it.

* * *

"I'm glad I can finally leave this rain!" Kurotsuchi exclaimed as the two shinobi marched across the large lake that surrounded Ame. Naruto halted in place, ripples formed gently from where he stood and intermingled with the wrinkles caused by the many raindrops around them.

"I'm going to Sunagakure." Naruto made his declaration while directly facing Kurotsuchi. He couldn't ask her to come with him. But he wanted her to. He wanted to say many things to her—but the more he thought about what he was going to say, the more he found opportunities to be rejected. Despite all of this, he still enjoyed being around her.

Kurotsuchi sighed and didn't look him in the eye. "I'm going to Tetsu no Kuni." They sensed the tense atmosphere then and neither party knew how to handle it. "I need to go to Union Headquarters."

She gazed at Naruto from the corner of her eye. He was staring at her with a somber expression. Her heart sank slightly at seeing him make that face. She didn't want to leave him either. She took a deep breath and decided to give in. "But I think we should meet up later." She could feel her face get hot at her suggestion.

Naruto's eyes filled with hope, and he grinned cheerfully. "I'll see you in three weeks, then?"

Kurotsuchi nodded and imitated his grin."OK, I'll meet you in Kusagakure." She turned north but before she took another step, she looked back at him. "Take care, hero."

With that, they went their separate ways. As Naruto made his way southwest, he wondered if he would miss the rain. It had a certain charm about it that spoke of tranquility and life's abundant nature—but without Kurotsuchi, it lacked something somehow. Naruto tried to pinpoint what exactly that something was. It might have been her strong and unfaltering attitude that made the rain more dynamic. Or it could have been the way her smile flashed with the rain droplets. He was not really sure, but he definitely knew it was better when she was around. The sun would be out when Naruto would leave the country, and he surmised even that might not be as grand without her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it!
> 
> -CM


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